Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott believes 'nobody in their right mind
can back England' in India because the tourists' batsmen are unable to deal
with the turning ball.

Many observers contend the key over the next six weeks will be how England deal with the spin of Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha in such exacting conditions - with the onus on the tourists to prove more adept than they were against Pakistan when they lost 3-0 in the United Arab Emirates at the start of the year.

Boycott told Cricinfo: "England haven't convinced anyone that they can play the turning ball. I don't think they've convinced themselves. They might talk [about how] they've done lots of planning and preparation, but they actually haven't done it in the middle. So it really boils down to what sort of pitches are produced by the Indian groundsmen.

"If the pitches turn, which they usually do… by the third, fourth or fifth day they will turn at some stage. How much will they spin is important. And who wins the toss, that's vital. If you can win the toss and have a chance of putting up a really big first-innings total on a pretty good batting surface before the ball spins, then make no mistake, that is really a vital factor.

"If the pitches stay flat, England have some good batsmen who can score heavily. But I don't think anybody can believe that you can go to India and the pitches won't turn at some stage. It just always happens that way. Occasionally you get a very flat one over five days.

"Nobody can back England. Nobody in their right mind can back England until England play well on the subcontinent."

Just last year, England went to the top of the world by beating India 4-0 - back at home, of course.

That is a recent history which has added an extra edge to this series. And Boycott is backing the hosts to gain revenge.

"India usually play well at home," he added. "The players are used to the slower bounce in the pitches, that's the key. It doesn't move as much with the new ball and it doesn't move for long. And it's the lower bounce, it doesn't get up high past the chin. They like their own food, they'll get home support.

"They may look a little vulnerable, but I still fancy India over England. There are far too many ifs and buts about the English batting. Sorry, I'm not sure they're going to do it, the English batting.

"For India, if Zaheer Khan can stay fit, he's a really fine bowler with the new ball and the old ball. He's an old warrior. On Indian pitches he's been known to be very good, get early wickets and let the spinners do the job when the batsmen are under pressure."